


The Day After

by towards



Category: Marvel 616, New X-Men: Academy X
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-15
Updated: 2018-06-15
Packaged: 2019-05-23 14:51:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14936372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/towards/pseuds/towards
Summary: If this is a dream then he doesn't want to wake.





	The Day After

This isn't his bedroom at the monastery.

He went to sleep with a handful of happy photos pinned to his walls. The New Mutants on their naming day. Laurie, Sofia and Noriko at the cafe, laughing. Jay, David and himself engrossed in a game of Mario Kart (seconds before he stole victory from David, he’d been insufferably smug for weeks). All of them camping.

He’d stopped taking photos when the team of six dwindled to three.

Now there was a lifetime spread across their walls. Framed and hung with loving care. Laurie, brilliant and beaming in a white gown. Noriko and Sofia at either side, eyes wet with joy. He’s in a white tuxedo, David and Jay looking proud. They’re all together, they’re all older. 

And they’re happy.

Each of them sports a gold X somewhere on their outfit. A small symbol of unity and pride. There is none of the anger towards what it represents, what it took from them. They are still the New Mutants. In the background he can see others, Julian still sports both hands and Victor’s arms are smooth and unchanged. Sofia is in the air and Noriko doesn't have shadows in her eyes that a coy smile and a sharp comment can't hide. Brian alive and looking unamused, squeezed between Santo and Professor McCoy for some quick snapshot someone couldn't resist taking.

This has to still be a dream. It had to be. Laurie stirs beside him and reaches a hand up to brush away tears he didn’t know he was shedding. Her voice is still heavy with sleep, concern sleeping through when he turns to her and hiccups a sob of relief. He presses his face into her shoulder and wraps both arms around her tight. She is warm and brilliant and alive and he can feel the love she has for him – stronger than it ever was when they were kids. Not cut short in its prime.

If this is a dream, he’d rather die than wake again. Let this be the living world, let all that came before have been a waking nightmare he didn’t know he was having.

He throws his arms around her and pulls her tight, ignoring her confusion and concern at the sudden display. She's real and warm and solid and alive in his arms and he shakes with the weight of the emotion that it brings, overcome with the memory of when she was cold and when there was nothing he could do to save her.

“I’ve missed you so much…”


End file.
